Tangled Up
by omfg-otp
Summary: Will has been trapped in a tower all his life because of the magic he possesses, but he dreams of a freedom he believes will never come. Until a mysterious stranger seeks refuge from him, in exchange for an adventure into the world outside. Tangled AU
1. When Will my life begin? - part 1

Will sat on the window ledge, staring out at the forest that stretched as far as the eye could see, even from his vantage point from the tall tower that had been his home since before he could remember.

What was out there? He wondered, What lay beyond the acres of forest and wildlife?

This was quite a common thing for Will to do. After painting, and playing instruments, and baking, and reading, and everything else he thought of to keep himself occupied, Will always found time in the day to sit and contemplate the concept of freedom, and that one day, he might get to have it for himself. You see, Will had plans. He dreamed of one day, visiting all corners of the earth, having adventures, just like the characters in his books.

Sighing, he turned away, about to climb back into his tower, when he saw something from the corner of his eye. A bush near the bottom of his tower was rustling. He strained his eyes, spotting a figure crouching on the ground.

He quickly climbed through the window, hiding himself behind a curtain, so he wouldn't be seen. Peaking out, he saw the stranger stand, and scurry towards the base of the tower. Will's eyes widened. This had never happened before. What was he supposed to do?

He peaked out again, curious as to what this stranger planned on doing next. The tower was way too dangerous to climb, or Will would've attempted it before. The stranger seemed to come to the same conclusion after studying the wall for a second. There was a door at the bottom of the tower that his captors used, but they always locked it. The stranger tried opening it, with no success. Will wasn't surprised. If there was a way in or out of this place, Will was sure he would have found it by now.

But the stranger still hadn't left. In fact, it looked as if he was searching for something in his pockets. Will leaned over the ledge a bit more, trying to see what the stranger was doing. He seemed to have found what he was looking for, and he was now fiddling with the door, shooting glances over his shoulder every few seconds.

It was at this point Will began to worry. Who was this person, this stranger? What was he running from? How did he expect to get through a locked door? And what would he do to Will if he some how managed to gain entry?

It seemed as if Will would have the answer to the last question sooner than he'd hoped, as the stranger had somehow unlocked the door, and had disappeared inside.

Will backed away from the window, quickly looking around. Should he hide or should he fight? Of course, there were no weapons in his tower, so he decided to climb into the rafters of the roof that was covered in darkness, so he wouldn't be seen. Just before he began climbing, he spotted a frying pan, and thought it may be useful as a weapon. He grabbed it, continuing his climb into the shadows.

Not a second had past since Will had settled in his hiding spot when the stranger ran up the steps on the far side of the room. He was panting slightly, having run up all those stairs, and leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

This was the first time Will could have a good look at him. The first thing that came to mind was dark. Dark eyes, dark clothes and dark hair. His skin however was a deep contrast, and looked rather pale. Will guessed the boy was around his age, perhaps younger.

The boy glanced around after catching his breath, and quickly crossed to the window, peaking out just as Will had done moments earlier. He stood there, not moving for roughly ten minutes, and Will started to feel quiet restless. This boy obviously wasn't here to kidnap him, and Will was pretty sure he could knock him out with the frying pan if he wasn't friendly.

He quietly slipped down from the roof, dropped to the ground in the middle of the room, and cleared his throat. The boy instantly jumped and spun around, but didn't say anything.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Will asked dryly, as if this sort of thing happened a lot. Which it most definitely didn't. The boy's cheeks reddened slightly, looking down at the pan that was still in Will's hands.

"Sorry...um. I didn't mean to break in, it's just..." He glanced out of the window again, nervously.

"Who are you running from?" Will could hardly contain his curiosity. The boy frowned slightly at the question.

"It doesn't matter"

"Well then I guess it won't matter if I kick you out then, will it?" He tried to sound threatening, but didn't quite manage it. The boy smirked.

"Guess not, but I'd rather stay." He replied an Will almost blushed. Almost. There was something strangely enchanting about this stranger. Probably to do with the fact he's the first person Will had ever met.

"In that case, maybe you could tell me you name?"

"Nico" He said, and started wondering around the room, looking at different paintings and books, here and there.

"I'm Will"


	2. When Will my life begin? - part 2

Nico and Will talked for a while, about nothing in particular. Will couldn't help asking about what Nico had seen of the world. He learned of the Kingdom not far away, and the ocean that lay beyond that. He learned of the people of the land, who were ruled by a righteous king. He learned of the normalcy of everyday life, getting up in the morning, going to work, speaking to other people. Things that Will had never experienced before.

"How long have you been up here?" Nico asked, after having to explain what the kings guard was, and how they defended the kingdom.

Will sighed, and wondered if he should tell the truth about himself to this stranger. But Nico wasn't a stranger, not anymore. Perhaps he should tell half the truth, and see if he's trustworthy.

"I've been kept here my whole life. You're one of the first people I've ever met." Nico's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" He asked, "You've never stepped foot outside these walls?" Will shook his head. "Wow. How old are you?"

"I don't know." Will shrugged "My captor never told me when my birthday was, or how long I've been here. But my guess would be around 19 or 20."

Nico hummed in thought, but didn't say anything else on the matter.

The sun was setting outside the window, and Will wondered when the boy was going to leave. He obviously thought the people after him were still around. Which gave Will an idea.

"Do you think you're going to be able to leave any time soon?" He asked innocently. Nico frowned at the question.

"I don't think so. Is my presence bothering you?"

Will chuckled, before answering, "No, quite the opposite. I want to make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Nico sounded confused.

"I'll let you stay here for the night, if you take me to this Kingdom you speak of." Will couldn't help feeling a spark of excitement even speaking the words. He'd been dreaming of freedom his whole life. And now Nico had come along, somehow unlocking the door of his tower. He could leave, right now if he wanted to.

"I don't get it, why don't you just leave now?" Nico asked. Will snorted in derision at the question.

"Do you think I know anything about the outside world? I'd be hopelessly lost in no time. I definitely wouldn't survive on my own."

Nico didn't speak for a while, probably thinking about his options.

"So, what do you say? Will you be my guide?" Will prompted, trying not to jump up and down in anticipation.

"I'm trying to figure out if you're too much trouble than you're worth." Nico said honestly.

"I am almost certainly more trouble than I'm worth." Will replied, smiling brightly. Nico rolled his eyes, and sighed.

"Fine. I'll take you to the kingdom. I'll show you how to be a functioning member of society, then we'll go our separate ways. Deal?"

Will nodded enthusiastically. He was finally getting out of here!

Then, Nico did something very odd. He held his right hand out in front of him, and then waited, as if he was expecting Will to do the same thing. Seeing his confused expression, Nico went on the explain what a 'hand shake' was, and how people used it when making deals, or in some cases, greeting each other. Will could already tell he was going to find the outside world very strange. After the hand shake, he proceeded to show Nico to the spare bedroom.

"It used to belong to the nanny that looked after me when I was younger." Will explained, pulling spare sheets out of the closet.

"I was wondering about how you'd survived as a kid" Nico told him, as they began making the bed together. "Is the nanny the only other person you've ever met?"

Will thought carefully before answering. "There have been a few others. But I'd appreciate it if we don't talk about that."

"Sure." Nico told him, shrugging. They continued making the bed in a comfortable silence. When it was done, Will bid Nico a good night, then made his way to his own bedroom.

There was no way Will was going to sleep anytime soon. He paced up and down his room, thinking about how drastically his life was about to change. He'd always lived in comfort in the tower, having food, water, clothes, and whatever else he desired. His captor always made sure he was happy enough, so he would sing for her.

But in the world outside his tower, he had nothing. He would need to get a job. The obvious choice was to become a doctor of some sort. But he knew all too well the dangers of drawing attention to his...abilities.

Sighing, he flopped down onto the bed. There was travelling to be done tomorrow, he needed to be well rested. After tossing and turning for a number of hours, Will finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
